Lucas Perez says he is excited to start his adventure in the Premier League after completing a £17m switch to Arsenal from Deportivo la Coruna. "?
Perez was a standout performer in La Liga last season, netting 17 times in 36 appearances, but says he can't wait to become a key player for the North London club.
"It's very exciting,"? Lucas said in a "?farewell press conference to Deportivo. "To play with the best, to compete with the best... It makes me very happy. It's a challenge, and if someone had told me at ten years old when I was playing in the streets of La Coruna, I would have thrown them off a bridge, I'd have said 'you're crazy'.
"It is one of the best clubs in the world. I'm looking forward to playing in European competitions, fighting for the title, earning an international call-up, growing as a player and sharing a dressing room with Olivier Giroud, Santi [Cazorla], [Mesut] Ozil.
"I'm proud to be doing that having been at Deportivo. I'll be an example for many kids here by going to a big team like Arsenal, hopefully, I'll serve as an example for kids to do even better than me."?
Lucas may make his Arsenal debut on September 10, when the Gunners host Southampton, but the forward revealed he was close to moving in January - ultimately turning down the offer due to his commitments with Deportivo.
Hello @Arsenal!!! #anewGunnerisintown #BienvenidoLucas ?????? pic.twitter.com/6SITFWjK1Q
"The Arsenal offer came just days before the end of the transfer window. But I knew about the interest of Arsenal for a long time. They showed interest in me during the January transfer window but then I couldn't leave.
"They also showed interest in me after the end of La Liga. But then, they have their way of working and the offer came only days before the end of the market."?
Fancy winning this? #BienvenidoLucas https://t.co/oLEu1eyahO